Crossroads of dedication: assessing the synergy between organizational and destination commitment

Abstract

ABSTRACT While the commitment of hotel and restaurant employees has been widely discussed, employees in destination management organizations (DMOs) have received limited attention from existing studies. This study explores employees’ organizational commitment (OC) and destination commitment (DC) in DMOs. By applying a target-free commitment approach, this study sheds light on understanding employee retention in an organization and a region. Following a quantitative research design, 330 employees of several DMOs in Tirol, Austria, were interviewed. For hypothesis testing, structural equation modelling was applied. The results confirm OC as a predictor for DC. Social exchange is positively linked to OC; however, no relationship was confirmed between time and flexibility and OC. Positive relationships were confirmed between leisure opportunities, hometown proximity and DC. Both, OC and DC, result in positive word-of-mouth behaviour. The findings contribute to several practical implications for enhancing OC and DC. This study expands the field of commitment studies to DC for the first time and identifies DC as a significant contributor to employee retention in the hospitality industry. Further, this study emphasizes the role of social relationships in the organizational context and in the destination.